Investing in small holder agriculture in Malawi to improve performance by scaling up conservation

agriculture

Prof., Sosten Chiotha*, Dr Dalitso Kafumbata, Dr Daniel Jamu, Mathews

Tsirizeni, & Welton Phalira*Leadership for Environment and

Development (LEAD), Zomba, Malawi

Landscape mosaic in MalawiLandscape mosaic, gradually

more fragmented(last 100 yrs), Agriculture, human

settlements, main cause of fragmentation

1991-1973 forest cover decline: 45 to 25.3 % and continues

High population growth, the main driver of landscape change

Population trebled to13 million (1966 to 2008), projected growth rate is 2.9%

Declining natural resource base 84 % employment natural resource

based: agriculture, forestry, fishery are key sectors

All 3 sectors declining in productivity due to unsustainable practices

More than 40% smallholders own <0.5ha, average farm size is 0.28ha

Farming system is essentially low input and low output

Fallow, crop rotation, mixed cropping, integrated with livestock production are limited or non – existent

Investing in conservation agriculture a must!!!

Climate change has made the situation worse : erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells and other extreme weather events

Severely degraded landscapes with diminishing ES leave many rural communities in persistent food shortages and poverty

Investing in conservation

agriculture a must!!!

CA is one approach to address the challenges to achieve sustainable production and improve livelihoods

Uptake of CA is low to achieve scale of restoring ecosystem services

Investment through the small-holder households, likely to break the vicious cycle of environmental degradation, low agricultural production and poverty

Arable land per capita decline vs Cereal demand/supply

Land cover decline over 20 years

An example of a plot under conservation

agriculture

Need for investment into off-farm activities to shift unsustainable use of marginal and fragile ecosystems

Estates in southern Malawi showing intensity of production, hedgerows and forest reserve as required by law for estates. Also notice land

under fallow

The small holder tea farmers belong to an association and hence there is potential for investment in addressing small holder land

use challenges to achieve scale at landscape

Contrasting land uses by small holder farmers and estates in

southern Malawi

Land use by small holder farmers. Notice the small landholdings, the variation in crop density/quality, location of trees, human

settlements

Rethinking investment Government: move from input-subsidies to

more integrated incentives that support landscape sustainability(e.g. PES, sustainable rural economic growth)

Private sector: support value addition, viable cooperatives of small-holders,

Banks & lenders: providing small-holders with better access to financial services (savings, credit, etc.)

Donors/development partners: more flexibility in approach to address difficult trade offs small holder farmers make that compromise landscape quality of services( essential for long-term livelihoods)

Acknowlegdements WLE: Support to attend GLF Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change

Adaptation programme: supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Malawi.

ASSETS: supported by ESPA UK through DFID

Participatory GIS in Malawi. Donors/development partners: Funded by IDRC

Population and climate change: Funded by Population Action International

Malawi state of Environment and outlook report